Apple iPad Pro 9.7 is finally reminding the people that it remains in the race. Many people had started believing that Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 had snatched the initiative from Apple.

With the launch of latest Apple iPad Pro 9.7 now Cupertino based Apple is trying to reassure its core fans that it remains firmly in the game.surface-pro-4 image

There is no denying the fact Apple is trying to attract those customers who are planning to ditch laptops for more portable tablets, but want a powerful machine to complete their work.

It must be kept in mind that latest 9.7-inch Apple iPad Pro comes loaded with all the power and performance of the original extra-large iPad Pro, but its size is small. Inside, there's a powerful processor, 256GB of storage and a new "True Tone" display that adjusts its color based on the light around you.

The newest iPad Pro isn't cheap; the 32GB Wi-Fi model will set you back $599. But the starting price for the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is $899 for 128GB, so it's a bit of a toss up, since you get much more storage with the entry-level Surface Pro 4.

But Microsoft includes a stylus with its tablet, while the Apple Pencil for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will set you back $99. Neither the iPad nor the Surface Pro 4 include the keyboard cover in their price, though. The Smart Keyboard for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will cost $149 when it begins shipping; the Type Cover for the Surface Pro 4 costs $129.99.

Power

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is powered by Apple's latest and fastest mobile processor, an A9X chip and M9X co-processor. These are some blazing fast internals, on-par with an early-2015 MacBook Air. But the entry-level Surface Pro 4 has an Intel Core m3 processor, and can be configured all the way up to Intel Core i7 with 8GB of RAM, so it has a bit of an edge when it comes to power.Display

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a similar display to the iPad Air 2: a 9.7-inch, 2,048-by-1,536 Retina display. Apple added something it calls True Tone, though, which adjusts the display based on brightness and ambient light temperature.

Plus, it's 25 percent brighter than the iPad Air 2, Apple says. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 ships with a 12.3-inch 2,736-by-1,824 screen, so it's a little larger and sharper than the smaller iPad Pro. Its PixelSense technology also gives the screen high contrast and cuts down on glare.

Software

Perhaps the biggest difference between these two devices is the operating system. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro runs iOS, whereas you get full Windows 10 with the Surface Pro 4. So while iOS provides all the games and mobile apps you love on the iPad, the Surface Pro 4 is capable of running full desktop apps, a better experience for enterprise tasks.

Designers will be drawn to the iPad Pro because of its compatability with the Apple Pencil and suite of creative iOS apps. Mobile workers who PC-like power, however, will likely be more taken with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.